Releasable load compartment for aircraft



T. P. HALL Feb. 27, 1945.

I RELEASABLE LOAD GOMPARTMENT'FOR AIRCRAFT Filed 001:. 25, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. THEODORE P. HALL.

HIS ATTORNEY.

Feb. 27, 1945. T. P. HALL RELEASABLE LOAD COMPARTMENT FOR AIRCRAFT FiledOct. 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIS ATTORNEY.

cause rotation of said member about said axis and uncovering of saidopening.

4. In an aircraft having an opening in an exterior surface thereof, aclosure for said opening comprising a member pivotally carried by theaircraft structure on an axis passing above the center of gravity ofsaid closure in its normally closed attitude, fixed guide meansarcuately disposed with respect to said axis, guide engaging meanscarried by said member, actuating means pivotally associated with saidmember adapted to cause rotation of said member about said axis anduncovering of said opening and tension means for restoring said memberto its closed position.

5. In an aircraft bomb carrying arrangement adaptable for theaccommodation of bombs of varying diameters, a bomb compartment adjacenta lower surface of said aircraft having an opening therein, means forreleasably supporting a bomb load in longitudinal disposition, a pair ofclosure elements for said opening journalled upon longitudinal axesinwardly disposed from the said closure elements and adapted uponrotation about said axes to uncover and close said lower surfaceopening, means for separately actuating each closure element comprisinglink assemblies pivotally connected to their respective closure elementsand disposed in the path of movement of said bomb load whereby saidmeans is adapted, when subjected to the weight of said bomb, to rotatesaid closure elements into their open positions and arcuate guideswithin said compartment in contact with the closure elements to providesupport reaction thereto against the released weight of said bomb load.

6. The arrangement described in claim 5, defined by a disposition ofsaid link assemblies forming a U-shaped arrangement for the largestbombs to be accommodated, a V-shaped arrangement for accommodatingintermediate sizes of bombs and a Y-shaped arrangement for theaccommodation of the smaller sizes of bombs.

7. The combination with an aircraft, a compartment within the aircraftaccessible through an opening in the plane of the exterior surface ofsaid aircraft, and a load releasably carried within said compartmentsuch that upon release it falls by gravity through said opening, ofclosure elements for said opening in the plane of said surface pivotallymounted upon said aircraft upon axes spaced above said surface and thecenter of gravity of the respective elements, mounting means disposedbetween said closure elements and said aircraft adapted to restrain andguide movement of said closure elements, and actuating means movablysupported upon said aircraft interposed between said load and saidclosure elements adapted upon engagement by said gravitationally fallingload to impart outward and upward bodily movement of said closureelements to retracted positions within said aircraft compartment therebypermitting said load to pass unobstructedly through said opening in saidaircraft surface.

8. In an aircraft having a compartment opening into the undersurfacethereof, said aircraft undersurface being subjected to external pressureinduced by forward flight, a closure for said opening comprising amember pivotally carried by the aircraft upon an axis passing above thecenter of gravity of said closure in its normally closed attitude inwhich it is gravitationally suspended and forms a smooth and fairedcontinuation of said undersurface, the said axis being symmetricallydisposed with respect to the fairing surface of said closure whereby innormal flight the external pressure upon said fairing surface issubstantially balanced such that the closure may be readily actuated.

9. In aircraft construction in combination, a compartment within theaircraft, a load releasably supported from said aircraft within saidcompartment, dual closure elements for said compartment pivotallysuspended from said aircraft upon separate axes disposed spatially abovethe mid-portions of said elements, actuating means of linkage formpivotally connected to the aircraft and operatively connected to saidclosure elements, said actuating means disposed beneath said load andadapted to be and contacted and moved downwardly thereby upon releasethereof, coordinating means interconnecting said closure elements suchthat they are retracted in unison outwardly and upwardly into saidcompartment, restoring means in cooperative engagement with saidcoordinating means adapted to derive and store energy from the downwardmovement of said load for the automatic closing of said closure elementsand means fixedly carried by each of said closure elements adapted forengagement by said coordinating and restoringmeans.

10. A bomb chock installation for an aircraft having a wing, abomb-carrying compartment comprising an interior space adjacent anopening in the lower surface of said wing, a bomb release gear carriedby said wing, bracket elements supported from said wing extending inopposed relationship and terminating at each side of said release gear,and a bomb supported from said release gear and disposed between saidbracket elements, comprising an adjustable chocking assembly extendingbetween and journalled within each of the said bracket members, saidchocking assembly including movable bomb-contacting elements, a normallyrigid adjustable interconnection extending between the saidbomb-contacting elements adjacent each said bracket and bearing elementspaced from the midpoint of said interconnection engaging said bombsupporting means whereby the said checking assembly is automaticallyself-centered with respect to said bomb in each of the adjustedpositions of said interconnection.

11. In an aircraft wing having an opening in its lower surface, aclosure element for said opening adapted to fit within said opening in aflush and continuous relationship with the adjacent lower surface ofsaid wing, said wing lower surface being subjected to positive airpressure induced by forward flight, upwardly extending bracket meanscarried by said closure element, said bracket means being pivotallycarried by the internal structure of said wing on an axis extendingabove and directly over the center of said air pressure upon saidclosure element and substantially in the direction of flight of saidaircraft whereby the wing forming surface of said closure element issubstantially aerodynamically balanced and gravitationally suspended inits closed position.

12. In an aircraft closure installation, a bomb compartment comprisingan interior space adjacent an opening in the lower surface of saidaircraft, said aircraft surface being subjected to position air pressureinduced by forward flight. means for releasably supporting a bomb inlongitudinal disposition in said compartment, a closure for said openingadapted to fit thereon with its lower surface flush and continuous withsaid lower surface of said aircraft, and upwardly extoward thecompartment openini" tending bracket means carried by said closure berspivotally mounted on w: pivotally supported by the internal structure oftheir centers of avity said aircraft on a longitudinal axis extendingclose said opening,

substantially above and laterally centered with between said op;

substantially aerodynamicaliy and mechanically to effect lateral andbalanced in its gravitationally suspended closed Said closure memberposition and when rotated about said pivotal sup- 10 o t S i port isdisplaced laterally and upwardly into the W 16. In

interior of said compartment.

13. In an aircraft, :1

Within openirig, sway braces (11 her to center cl Feb. 27, 1945. w. A;RAY 2,37%,326

THERMOCOUPLE Filed Oct. 20, 194]. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Will/0m A.Fay

WW ATTORNEY

